KANSAS CITY, Mo. — FOX4 continues to honor the hard work of local educators making an impact.

September’s “Teacher of the Month” is Gabriel Livingston of Ervin Elementary School, which is in the Hickman Mills School District. Livingston teaches in the district he grew up in, and he credited those who had him as a student for why he’s teaching now.

“I went to Burke Elementary when I was an elementary school student,” he told FOX4. “Due to a lot of the teachers that I had there, that really inspired a love of teaching in me.”

Livingston began his education career during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Online learning was difficult for me as an adult, and I just thought about the elementary teachers all the time. How are they doing what they need to do?,” he said. “But they do. Teachers find a way to do it and to help students succeed all the time.”

Livingston was nominated for the Teacher of the Month award by Elsa Morgan. She works closely with him at Ervin Elementary and volunteers with the Foster Grandparents Program. Morgan mentioned that his impact on the students is lasting.

“We still have our third graders from two years ago come visit us every morning,” Morgan said. “They come and give us hugs, so I think they all think he’s pretty awesome.”

Livingston received a $750 gift card as his prize. If you have a favorite educator in the area you’d like to nominate, you can do so here. Each month’s winner gets a $750 gift card and is featured on FOX4 News.

FOX4’s Teacher of the Month contest is sponsored by Volkswagen Lee’s Summit.